Confederation Bridge pedestrian shuttle remains out of service during COVID-19

The pedestrian shuttle for the Confederation Bridge remains out of service and there are no immediate plans to resume it while COVID-19 is still a threat to safety, says the bridge's general manager.

The shuttle, which costs $4.50, has been an economical option for people who choose to cross the bridge without a vehicle and have someone pick them up on the other side.

This inconvenience right now is out of an abundance of precaution for, first of all, our staff.Michel Le Chasseur

Drivers can still cross the bridge in their own vehicles, drop off a passengerand return within 40 minutes for a cost of $15. The cost of a regular two-axle vehicle to cross the bridge and continue on to New Brunswick is $48.50.

Michel Le Chasseur, general manager of Strait Crossing Bridge Ltd., says the pedestrian shuttle poses a risk for the driver, and the company cannot afford an outbreak among its 41 employees.

"This inconvenience right now is out of an abundance of precaution for, first of all, our staff," he said.

"We also provide a service 24/7 to make sure that transport to and from P.E.I. for goods and services continues, that includes food and health services for 155,000 residents, so this is basically not a small matter. We are a 41-person team and we have to keep them safe and we have to keep the bridge running."

Le Chasseur said the shuttle would have to go through the COVID checkpoints on both sides of the bridge, which could complicate matters if any of the passengers do not meet the criteria to cross.

"We're not the ones doing the triage," he said. "At the triage, there could be five or six people in the bus and one, all of a sudden, can not go in for medical reasons, for example, and all of a sudden all six on the bus are vulnerable."

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